Black History Month celebrates the legacy of African Americans whose contributions have helped build us a better future.
To celebrate Black History Month this February, Verizon is shining a spotlight on a group of Bronx Academy Middle School students who had the odds stacked against them. A national app challenge provided the students with the impetus to realize their passion and potential for greatness. Today, these students are featured in Verizon’s newest advertising campaign, called “Potential Of Us,” which is set to appear on major national broadcast networks, in the company’s stores nationwide and in online and print media starting today.
The campaign highlights Verizon’s commitment to empowering everyone, especially the African American community, to reach their full potential. The company hopes to inspire adults and kids to not just celebrate history, but create it.
The students featured are past winners of Verizon’s Innovative App Challenge. They designed and built an app called Quest Math, to help students everywhere hone their math skills using Greek mythology.
The experience completely changed their lives, inspiring them with new confidence and the drive to get out of their comfort zone. For instance, the team leader, once the shyest of the students, is now the student body president, something she would never have pursued before winning this competition. Now she helps her peers reach their potential and discover their passion for coding, app design and other interests. Many of the students at the Bronx Academy Middle School now want to become biomedical engineers and app designers.
Like the Quest Math team, many Americans are creating history by pursuing their passions in fields such as entrepreneurship, science, fashion, music and sports with Verizon technology.
Be sure to visit the “Potential Of Us” website for more inspiring stories, and please share your stories of passion paying off by using the hashtag #PotentialOfUs or #PassionPays. Then find out how a new batch of young innovators will discover their potential to create social impact on Feb. 3, when we announce the new winners of the 2014-2015 Verizon Innovative App Challenge.
